Great image-making and art direction are about embracing the idea that the finality is the sum of many parts—the perfect juxtaposition and blending of various ingredients and talents.
– Ezra Petronio, from the preface
Phaidon presents an immersive visual survey on a quarter-century of art direction, product design, and image making by Ezra Petronio. This dazzling and uniquely impactful monograph features 1,000 images alongside thoughtful interviews and inspiring commentary from industry insiders who have collaborated with Petronio, such as Jefferson Hack, Honey Dijon, Mark Jacobs, and Chloë Sevigny. Designed by Petronio himself, the book delves into his aesthetic and creative world, showcasing the full diversity of projects he has worked on across his career, spanning graphic and product design, typography, creative direction, editorship, photography, film direction, and art direction.
New York-born, Paris-based Petronio is the founder and creative director of the multi-disciplinary creative and strategic agency Petronio Associates, established in 1993. He has been the editor-in-chief and creative director of the cult biannual fashion magazine, Self Service, since 1994. Petronio is also a highly respected photographer – his iconic Polaroid series documents and honours artists in every field from film to music and literature – and runs Content Matters, an agency specialising in digital marketing and brand storytelling.
Throughout his career, Petronio’s collaborative spirit has led him to work with world-renowned designers and image-makers including Miuccia Prada, Rei Kawakubo, Jil Sander, Phoebe Philo, Karl Lagerfeld, Alessandro Michele, Anthony Vaccarello, Pieter Mulier, Inez & Vinoodh, Juergen Teller, Glen Luchford, Mert and Marcus, David Sims, as well as countless directors, stylists, models, artists, musicians and other creative thought leaders. The book includes work for Chanel, Chloé, Comme des Garçons, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Saint Laurent, and Jil Sander, as well as Colette, Glossier, Miu Miu, Helmut Lang, Alaïa, Revlon and Zara.
Visual Thinking & Image Making tells the story not only of Petronio’s collaborations and own unfiltered creativity but also maps the evolution of the broader creative industry since the 1990s. An opening preface from Petronio is followed by a foreword by curator and writer Charlotte Cotton. The book also features a conversation between Petronio and Dazed co-founder Jefferson Hack, ‘On Independent Publishing,’ and another ‘On Image Making’ between Petronio, fashion photographer David Sims, and Lana Petrusevych. Finally, readers are also taken back to the early days of Petronio’s career in an interview with Petronio Associates and Self-Service co-founder Suzanne Koller.
This impressive book is the first retrospective monograph on Petronio’s career, illustrating and celebrating the full breadth of his creative vision and demonstrating what it takes to become a master of art direction.